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KIRKUS REVIEW

An annual almanac attempts to
predict weather-related phenomena based on patterns observed in previous years.

The
almanac begins with an introduction giving a brief overview of the information
provided in the monthly sections. Felker (Poor
Will’s Almanack 2015, 2014, etc.) also explains the dominical forecast,
which is a method from the Middle Ages based on the date on which the first
Sunday of a year occurs; for 2017, readers can apparently expect “great
conflict and fighting among robbers and new tidings of kings.” An overview of what
the author calls “the Forty-Eight Seasons” follows, in which he breaks each
season into smaller parts and describes what happens at those times. Each
monthly section begins with a quote followed by a brief essay by Felker and
then various astronomical and predictive details. First he presents information
about the states of the moon, planets, and stars during the month and a list of
holidays. Next appears a S.A.D. Stress Index. This index “is one way of
measuring those natural phenomena which are assumed to be related to seasonal
affective disorder (S.A.D.): the day’s length, the probable percentage of
sunlight, and the weather.” Then the author offers a discussion of when to best perform gardening and animal husbandry tasks; a
list of cold fronts and related weather events; and a reader-submitted story.
Finally, Felker delivers a brief autobiography. The author’s pseudo-scientific
explanation of the moon’s effect on weather and animals is somewhat dubious,
and the dominical forecast is downright astrological. Of more value are his
descriptions of the seasons and when to expect which natural events; his
gardening advice should also prove helpful. Felker’s essays verge on poetry,
and his reader stories are amusingly nostalgic. And his names for various moons
throughout the months—such as the Robin Chorus moon and the Sweet Corn moon—remain
an intriguing way to tie the passing of time to expected events in the natural
world.

While the weather forecasts may be debatable,
this almanac still features beautiful essays by the author and some useful
details about seasonal events and gardening.

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